Our LGB
Martin Cooper Chair of Governors
Martin joined the Army following failure at A-levels, and a year later accepted for Sandhurst. Completed 4 tours in NI, commanded a Gunner parachute battery and Glasgow UOTC, with staff work in career management. Retired in 2003 as Regimental Colonel Royal Artillery, following a tour as defence attaché to Malaysia and Vietnam. In retirement worked for CAB for 16 years and assessed DofE expeditions. Still active as a welfare caseworker, Mountain Rescue member and National Park walk leader. Attends St John’s Church, Osmotherly, near Penny Bridge. He and his wife Helen have 3 grandchildren at local schools.
Gillian Bickersteth LGB Member
I trained and worked as a nurse and have lived in Cumbria for most of the past 43 years with my husband, a C of E clergyman. We retired to Greenodd 5 years ago to be near our daughter who has two children at Penny Bridge Academy. I am an active member of the local church and am looking forward to serving the needs of the school, building bridges within the community and church.
Marion SwiftLGB Member
Marion retired from being a Medical Secretary and Health & Safety Representative with the NHS in the South so that her husband Ian could take up his role as priest at St Thomas Church, Crosscrake, nr Sedgwick where they lived for 5 years. Ian has since retired and they now live in Backbarrow where Marion is a Director of a local resident’s association and part-time Benefice Administrator in the Coniston and Crake Valley.
Marion has three grown up sons and two step-children all married with families. Hobbies include: reading, quilting, travelling, driving and two Lhasa Apso dogs.
Previous roles include Pastoral Assistant at her previous church in the South, Assistant District Commissioner for Cub Scouts for 5 years, and then Assistant District Commissioner for Development. This role was extremely interesting seeing the local camp site develop from an empty field into a favourite place for all sections of Scouting to enjoy; ie Climbing wall, abseiling, showers/WC etc plus archery, rifle range.
Pauline BettanyLGB Member
I am a retired French teacher and dyslexia tutor with 32 yrs of
experience in secondary education . I have 2 grown up sons and a
granddaughter and am now widowed and living in Ulverston.
Until the death of my husband in 2020 I lived in Greenodd so decided to
offer my services to the school as a volunteer supporting readers in
yrs 1/2 under the guidance of Jill Armstrong as a way of keeping my link
with the village.
I have enjoyed spending Tuesday afternoons since then at the school and gradually become more and more involved . I am now on the ethos
committee and I have been a volunteer at both Easter and Christmas “
experience” events at the village church . A water park day out was a
highlight on my calendar in summer 23!! And now I find myself a member
of the LGB!!
In addition to my volunteering at school I also volunteer as a
bereavement support counsellor at st Mary’s hospice … another fulfilling
and rewarding element in my life .
Life is certainly busy and I hope to continue to enjoy an active and
supportive role in both these settings for the foreseeable future .
Graham CarrickHeadteacher
I started my career in education as KS2 teacher at Woodheys
Primary School Sale, Manchester in 2000. After two years, I decided to
take a break from teaching to travel and work in the Alps, gaining
diverse experiences and working in the hospitality industry.
In 2004, I returned to the UK and ran a successful cafe/restaurant in
Ulverston until 2008, where I developed my management and customer
service skills and understanding the pressures of running my own
business. However, my passion for education brought me back to
teaching, and I joined Newbarns Primary School as a Year 5
teacher.
In 2011, I moved to Penny Bridge CE Primary School, taking on the
role of Year 5/6 teacher and was then promoted to Deputy Head in 2015,
supporting the school through the academisation process. In 2020 I
stepped up as Acting Headteacher, which resulted in me being extremely pleased to be appointed as full-time Headteacher in December 2021.
With a deep commitment to fostering a supportive and enriching
learning environment, I thoroughly enjoy leading and managing Penny
Bridge CE Academy contributing positively to my local community on the
edge of the Lake District.
Amy GibsonStaff LGB Member
Victoria ThompsonVice Chair
I grew up in Nottinghamshire where I spent the first 18 years of my life. Following graduation from Newcastle University in 2002 I moved to Bristol where I trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant. I have been working in practice ever since, dealing with tax and compliance work for a range of clients from small sole traders to large landed estates. My husband and I moved to the South Lakes in 2015 having decided it would be a great place to raise our family. My son is currently at Penny Bridge and my daughter is due to start in a couple of years time. I look forward to using my financial skills to help the school continue to be a great community asset.
Helen Bradford Parent LGB Member
Mrs Katy MillenChair of FPPR (Finance, Property, Personnel and Risk)
Katy has over 20 years of experience in Project and Program Management in the technology industry and currently works for HubSpot, a global CRM platform company.
Katy has lived in the South Lakes since 2013, after relocating from London, due to her husband's work commitments in the Lake District.
She and her husband, John, have one child, who attended Penny Bridge Nursery and is currently in year 6 at Penny Bridge Academy.
Katy became a parent member of PBA's Local Governing Body in 2023 after seeing the positive impact that the Penny Bridge school environment had on her son and hopes to use her business experience to continue to support the school's growth.
